Head to the nearest farmers market or mom and pop shop. Only in spots like these will you stumble upon the culinary treasures that local food entrepreneurs supply to the community. These makers never hesitate to venture off the beaten path, experiment with new flavors and share their handmade creations with the region.

From artisan hot sauces and pickles to spicy glogg and vegan caramels, small-batch food stuffs are big — and hot.

Here is a sampling to try in the Hudson Valley:

Spice it up

Ryan Fleischhauer and Ken Millet, co-owners of Horseshoe Brand hot sauce, turned a hobby into a business that heats up plates and palates throughout the Hudson Valley.

“I just used to make (the hot sauces) for myself,” Millet said.

In 2008, he and Fleischhauer partnered to create the Milan-based brand.

“We cook and bottle it ourselves,” Millet explained, adding that the men source for local ingredients as often as possible.

Currently, the pair have nine hot sauces and two barbecue sauces in their repertoire. Unlike many storebrand sauces, Horseshoe embraces unexpected flavors, such as Maple Cayenne and Cajun. Top-sellers include Kiwi Jalapeno, Roasted Garlic and Habanero Peach.

Fleischhauer and Millet, both of whom grew up in Rhinebeck, said they are proud to supply local retailers such as Warren Kitchen & Cutlery in Rhinebeck and Milo’s Cantina in Poughkeepsie. They also provide recipes on their website to integrate the brand’s many sauce options.

“We’re big chicken wing fans, so we have a wing recipe for every sauce,” Fleischhauer said.

Papa's Best Batch nuts took home first place at the Rosendale Pickle Festival.(Photo: Courtesy photo)

Go nuts!

Like the Horseshoe duo, Jody Apap of Red Hook also found a way to turn his hobby into a full-fledged business. As a longtime food enthusiast, Apap began to test the commercial waters five years ago by selling his homemade maple syrups and jerkies at neighborhood farmers markets.

“Somehow I got the idea to soak ... nuts and sell them,” he said.

Slowly but surely, he jumped through hoop after hoop to make Papa’s Best Batch, his small-batch nut brand, a reality. He distributes to small gourmet shops such as Samuel’s Sweet Shop in Rhinebeck and Adams Fairacre Farms in Kingston with the goal of expanding slowly and organically. His flavors, such as Chipotle Lime and Roasted Garlic, are made with authentic, simple ingredients to ensure maximum flavor.

“Roasted garlic is the most popular flavor,” he said. He combines fresh roasted garlic, vinegar and salt with smoked pistachios to create a snack that is naturally addictive.

Apap makes a home for himself at Greig Farm, where he operates his Papa’s Best Batch food truck during the warmer months. He uses the farm’s kitchen space to prep his 35-pound batches of pistachios and almonds and test out new flavors. This year, he hopes to unveil two additions to his mouthwatering line-up. One has a Mediterranean influence while the other embraces everyone’s favorite autumn flavor. Come fall, pumpkin spice lovers should keep their eyes peeled.

Vegan treats

Whereas Apap covers the savory side of seasonal cravings, Nicole Kornher-Stace provides a sweet-tooth solution. The owner of Feed Your Face, a vegan caramel company based out of her home in New Paltz, has a confection for every time of the year. From vanilla-orange creamsicle in summer to mulled apple cider in fall, her flavors satiate a range of palates.

“I’m pretty thrilled to be able to contribute in my tiny way to the thriving vegan food scene,” she said.

After converting to veganism at the age of 12, Kornher-Stace began experimenting with caramel recipes that adapted to her lifestyle. As she collects staples such as sugar and vanilla, and flavorings such as coffee and apples, she buys fair trade, local and organic whenever possible.

Korhner-Stace sells her sweets on Etsy as a supplement to her day job as a science fiction writer. She began the initiative back in 2011 as a way to pay off some unexpected home repair bills. Seven years later, she remains a committed member of the local and vegan food communities.

“I buy as many ingredients from local sources as possible and all my packaging is plastic-free and as minimal and sustainably sourced as possible ... compostable plant-based cellophane bags tied with yarn made from recycled saris by a women’s cooperative in Nepal,” she said.

Perry's Pickles in Rosendale is run by husband and wife duo, Kathleen and Keith Perry.(Photo: Courtesy photo)

Pucker up

As Korhner-Stace exemplifies, natural, regionally sourced ingredients are a critical distinction between small batch entrepreneurs and their commercial counterparts. That is why the husband and wife duo behind Perry’s Pickles commit to buying produce from neighborhood farms and to selling their wares at farmers markets throughout the Hudson Valley.

“We make everything in small batches using local produce with no additives or preservatives,” Kathleen Perry said. “All natural is what sets us apart from a lot of other brands.”

Perry and her husband, Keith, founded Perry’s Pickles seven years ago when they realized their talent for converting cucumbers from their garden into crunchy pickles was attracting a fan base. Now based in Rosendale, they offer more than 25 types of fermented and pickled products, including kimchi, sauerkraut, pickled Brussels sprouts and quail eggs.

“We even bottle our own pickle juice,” Perry said.

Hetta Glogg is made in Kingston from an old Norwegian family recipe.(Photo: Courtesy photo)

Glug some glogg

While drinking pickle juice might not suit everyone’s fancy, sipping a cup of glogg will warm most spirits and stomachs.

“You serve it warm, most often in the winter time,” said Darren Davidowich, co-owner of Hetta Glogg. His company, which began in Rhinebeck and now operates in Kingston, creates glogg, a Norwegian spiced wine based on a family recipe.

“It comes from my brother’s wife’s (Norwegian) family,” he said. “I first got to try it being served by them.”

In addition to nuts, Jody Apap also makes his own jerky for Papa's Best Batch.(Photo: Courtesy photo)

Davidowich, his brother, Kevin, and their extended family run all aspects of the business, from production to retail. They make a point to work with local bars and restaurants, such as the Roundhouse in Beacon, to find new ways to use the glogg in everything from cocktails to lemonade.

“You put it in a small glass and you take a sip of it, and it all makes sense,” he said.

Sabrina Sucato is a freelance writer. Contact her at features@poughkeepsiejournal.com

Better Bloody Mary

It took a guy in New Rochelle to give the Bloody Mary a modern makeover.

“I started my career in advertising/branding developing marketing strategies for Fortune 500 brands such as Intel, AIG, Chase and MetLife," said Alejandro Lopez, creator of Toma, a chic Bloody Mary mixer that has started to appear behind tony bars and on market shelves throughout the Lower Hudson Valley. "But I’ve always had a passion for cooking and making craft cocktails at home."

Toma's recipe is a creative spin on classic Bloody Mary mixers, combining chipotle-tomatillo sauce, sriracha and steak sauce for a light, peppery and slightly smoky flavor with a substantial fiery kick at the end.

His goal was to create an all-natural, preservative-free product that would still be shelf stable. — Journal News staff report

Shop the flavors of the Hudson Valley

If you're looking for local artisan food products, many are available at farmers markets and stores throughout the Hudson Valley; check websites for complete listings. Here is a sampling where to find them:

Toma:drinktoma.com. (TasteNY at Todd Hill shop on the Taconic Parkway; Drink More Good in Beacon (383 Main St.), Prohibition Distillery in Roscoe (10 Union Street). In Westchester, it’s available at DeCicco’s stores, and restaurants including Polpettina, 105 Ten, PopoJito, 121 Restaurant, Bedford 234 and The Barley House use the mixer in beverages.